


An Absolute Rose

by CLP



Category: Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Boys Kissing, Childhood Friends, F/F, Fairy Tale Elements, Fluff, M/M, Secret Relationship, Sleeping Beauty Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-24 23:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20022541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CLP/pseuds/CLP
Summary: Two cousins were born in the vicinity of the same week, but only one was cursed by a wicked fairy. Both alluring and sweet, yet danger shrouded the other.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm finally doing this.
> 
> You know, I'm surprised this fandom doesn't have a lot of fairy tale element stories. I mean, there's maybe only one or two you could do with the Gatsby fandom but it's still possible.
> 
> Being the fairy tale geek that I am, I'm getting this out there in the world because a.) I haven't posted anything for quite long time and b.) I wanted to cross at least something off my summer list.
> 
> So, here we go,  
> Enjoy!

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, the King and Queen of the Fay kingdom wished for a child. And in the land nearby, the Queen's sister and the King of the Carraway kingdom also longed for a child.

Both families had spent many years waiting until, eventually, both women became pregnant at the same time. The two sisters were joyful at the news and would send letters back and forth every day. They discussed baby names for both genders, which parent would their children look like, and when their next meeting should be to see each other's growth.

The fateful day came and both children were born in the same week. The Fays had a little girl, naming her Daisy, with thin tufts of her mother's hair on her round head. A few days later, a baby boy was gifted to the Carraways, who they named Nicholas who bore rosy-pink cheeks. The sisters and their husbands were ecstatic, sharing their celebration between their two kingdoms.

Nobles, ambassadors, and villagers from across both lands came to see the young cousins, for it was nothing they had ever seen before. Gifts were given to the pairs and congratulations were said. The royal families even sent an invitation to eight fairies, four each would give a gift to one of the children.

When the twelve fairies arrived, their magical gifts in mind, they were absolutely delighted to see the young prince and princess. Each child would receive six attributes, splitting the twelve fairies in half, and, in the end, the families were very pleased with these gifts.

As the final two fairies were about to give their last gift to each child, a large gust of wind blew open the doors and a flash of lightning struck the hall, creating a growing flame. The guests and the fairies turned to see the thirteenth fairy, Serena, in the center of the royal hall. She had not received an invitation unlike the others and was incredibly angry.

"You dare not invite me? And I have such a wonderful gift to give the special child." The eight fairies crowded around the children to protect them, but it was no use.

"And, what gift would that be?" the Fay Queen asked.

A wicked smile appeared on Serena's face, as she raised her wand, _"this child may grow up loved and cherished by all, but before the sun sets on their sixteenth birthday, they shall prick their finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die!"_

The sisters cried out in terror, reaching for their children. Serena laughed, leaving the castle in a cloud of smoke and fire. The Kings were furious and their wives were left in fear.

René, the head fairy, spoke up, "don't despair, Your Majesties. Eva and Oliver haven't bestowed their gifts. The curse can't be lifted, but it can be changed."

"But we don't know which child she was giving the curse to. That awful warthog didn't specify so it could be either one of them!" Oliver exclaimed as he was pushed towards the children.

"Give each child the same spell. You all have given our children enough different and wonderful gifts, it wouldn't hurt to protect our son and my niece equally." the Carraway Queen replied, holding her son close to her heart.

And so, the two fairies waved their wands and recited the same spell, _"if, through this wicked witch's trick, a spindle should your finger prick, a ray of hope there still may be in this, the gift I give to thee. Not in death, but just in sleep, the fateful prophecy will keep. And from this slumber, you shall wake, with true love's kiss the spell shall break."_

Although this brought somewhat relief to the two Queens, the Kings were not satisfied. They ordered for both kingdoms to destroy every last spindle and spinning wheel in a large bonfire. Even then, they did not feel that their children were safe.

They had one request for the head fairy and the two fairies who gave their gift up: if they could hide the children for sixteen years. It wasn't a plan either Queen agreed with but reluctantly gave in. So, during the night, René, Eva, and Oliver took the small infants away deep into the forest, pretending to be peasant mortals.

The kingdoms were devastated when they heard about the prince and princess's disappearance, but as the years went by, their spirits rose, knowing their future rulers would return on their sixteenth birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask my why these two are the candidates for Sleeping Beauty, I realized that Gatsby probably was the better candidate but someone kinda already did that and I'm not going to take their idea.


	2. Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Daisy, now thirteen years old, play throughout the forest. But, someone new enters their enchanted domain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I skipped a bunch of years but was it worth it? Yes, yes it was.
> 
> Anyway,  
> Enjoy

Nick let his feet sink into the cool water of the flowing creek, his toes intermingling with the layer of silt on the bottom. He cups his hands to catch some of the liquid and brings it up to his mouth, the crisp taste barely entering his mouth and instead drenching his white shirt. His dark pants, although rolled up to his knees, have also become soaked due to the water’s crashing waves; he was lucky his pants were held up by suspenders.

"Don't you dare get me wet, Nicky. Aunt René made this dress just last week and I don't want to ruin it." Daisy announces, brushing the dress’ skirt with one hand while the other holds a small wildflower chain. A few squirrels and rabbits had brought them to her, as they usually did.

He laughs, taking his dripping hand and running it through his chocolate-brown hair. Two bluebirds fly beside him, getting a few droplets onto their little heads. "Oh, but it’s incredibly hot. You can’t tell me you aren’t feeling the heat, you always complain about it."

"No, I don't, you're exaggerating!” She pretends to sound hurt, pointing her nose into the stiff air as she busies herself back to the flowers, “the summer heat only got to you because you've been in the sun all day."

"Ridiculous! You've been out just as much as I have." She rolls her eyes, turning back to her flower chain. Nick climbs out of the water flow, feeling the grass stick between his toes. "We might as well head back home anyway, but I left my book upstream."

"Go on and get it, I can wait here. Oh, and Nicky," she exclaims before he runs off. Daisy links the chain together, placing the small wildflowers on his head. "You look darling.”

He laughs, hurrying off to grab his book. Being late-August, Nick usually spent his days outside with his nose in a book since the weather made it too sticky to sit inside their little cottage. Their shared bedroom is filled to the brim with books, much to Daisy’s distaste for them.

It isn't long till he's near the area where he left it. When he finally spots the bright yellow hardcover book, the smile disappears from his face and Nick rushes behind a tree, the two birds hurrying with him. The book isn't in the same spot he left it in, it's in the hands of a stranger.

The stranger, a young boy, is probably about his age, barely his height, with a dark shade of golden messy hair, a somewhat strong physique, and glowing blue eyes. His clothing is almost similar to Nick's: a simple brown tunic, a pair of dirty pants with suspenders attached to them, and a pair of worn-out boots on his feet.

Now, Nick is well aware of his aunts and uncle’s rules for the forest: don’t stray too far, no animals allowed inside the cottage, and don't talk to strangers. But he absolutely must get his book back, with it being his recent birthday present, his guardians would be devastated to know he lost it. And Nick knew he'd feel guilty about losing it.

The birds tweet softly, and he shushes them, “you know their rules, I'll get in trouble. But you're right.”

“Hello?” the boy calls out, “Is anyone there?”

Nick covers his mouth, daring not to make another sound. The boy's voice is soft, still prepubescent but sweet to the ear. As lovely as Daisy's voice is, this stranger seems to have fully captivated him.

He peers out from behind the tree, hoping the boy doesn't see him. Nick takes a deep breath, calming his jittering nerves, his bird friends by his side to support him, and steps into the afternoon light.

"Just me," he replied, finally, his eyes downcast as if the appear smaller, "I lost my book and you have it there."

The boy gives him a glittering smile, one that focuses just on Nick and Nick alone, and holds the book in his general direction. "Oh, I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have picked it up anyway."

He reaches for the book and presses it to his chest, relieved to have it back in his possession. But the boy's words surprise him, "why's that?"

He laughs and leans up against a tree. "I can't read that well. I know a bit but not enough to understand a full-length book."

Nick takes a glance at the birds tweeting next to him, but he shakes them off with a smile as he walks towards the boy. "That's alright, everyone reads at different speeds. If you wanted me to, I could teach you."

“You don't have to do that. It's not that important." The boy says, kicking the ground as a small distraction even though there's a sad, almost puppy-like look on his face.

"Oh, it is! Reading is everywhere and learning from the basics to beyond is very easy. My sister, Daisy, doesn't enjoy books as much as I do so it'd be wonderful if I could have a partner." He rants, a small smile appears on his face as Nick tries to encourage the boy into taking his offer.

He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "If you're insisting then I might as well give in."

 _"Nick, where are you? The sun is setting!"_ Daisy calls out, her elegant voice echoing throughout the forest.

His heart jumps in terror for a moment, remembering his guardians' rules. "I have to get going, I'm not even allowed to talk to strangers and if Daisy catches me, I'll get in-"

"James," the boy supplies.

"Huh?"

"My name is James, but my parents call me Jay. Since I told you my name, we're not strangers anymore." At the reveal of the boy's - Jay's - name, Nick softly chuckles.

He begins to walk in Daisy's direction but immediately turns around to Jay, the flower crown slipping off his head. "It's nice to meet you, Jay. I'm Nick and, if I can, I'll see you tomorrow!"

* * *

That morning, Nick is ecstatic about seeing Jay again. He had never made one friend in his entire young life, disincluding Daisy because she was his sister and they had to get along. It feels strange to meet someone new, to go against his aunts and uncle's wishes feels exhilarating and he likes it.

Nick's smile doesn't go unnoticed while he's quickly getting his chores done. Daisy's eyes frequently glance over to him as she cleans off the window shutters with he organizes his books. Aunt René is a bit suspicious as she cooks a warm breakfast while he sets the table. Aunt Eva tilts her head at him while they're doing laundry. Uncle Oliver has this strange look on his face when they're feeding the chickens together.

"What's got you in such a wonderful mood, Nicky? Come on, you've got to tell us so we all can be in a good mood." Daisy asks during their breakfast, pushing for the answer she, and the rest of their little family, are looking for.

"It's an equally wonderful day, that's all." He lies, which is obviously only half of the truth. 

"Yes, but that can't be the only thing about today that's got you in such a mood." Uncle Oliver states, bringing a fork full of eggs to his mouth.

"It truly is, there's no doubt about it," he answers, finishing his plate and quickly rising from his chair. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head out early."

"You're leaving so soon?" Aunt René furrows her brows in concern as he runs up the stairs.

"And without me? Nicky-"

"Don't worry, Daisy, I'll find you later, I promise." Nick says, coming back down and opening the front door, "I'll be home before sunset!"

He quickly sets off, hurrying off in the same direction where he met Jay. With the turquoise, hardcover book under his arm, Nick begins to slow down in the area they met. At least, he thinks this is the area. He knows these forests like all the books in his miniature library but sometimes he does get a little lost.

He takes a seat underneath a large tree beside the creek, opening the book and turning to a random page. It isn't long until his animal friends find him, crowding around him and his book to get a better look.

"What, no 'good morning?'" He asks, the squirrels chitter and the birds chirp in reply, "it's alright, I'm not mad. I know none of you could ever be so mean. Besides, if you must know, this book has such a simple story that it's not too hard to follow."

"Oh, really? I would've thought my teacher would've started me off with something a little harder." The soft voice from yesterday dances into his ears and Nick looks up to see Jay come into view. He's wearing similar clothes as to yesterday except for his hair, which is much tidier than the disheveled strands.

Nick slides his fingers along the smooth cover. "Well, you did say you haven't read anything like a full-length novel so I thought something small and simple would suffice."

"That's very kind of you, Nick." His heart flutters at Jay remembering his name.

"It's not a problem, I'm happy to share my books with someone." A smile stretches on his face, "now, we come to the question."

"Question?" Jay asks, taking a seat next to him under the tree. 

"Should you read to me or I read to you? Or, we each can read a paragraph and switch off." Nick suggests, opening to the first chapter.

"I like the idea of us reading together. You can help me along the way." He scooches closer to him, their shoulders pressed together. The close contact is new, enjoyable even.

Nick holds the book between them, reading the first paragraph. When it's Jay's turn, he struggles a bit with the longer words than the simpler ones. The animals surround them, squirrels rest up against Nick's legs, rabbits cuddle on his lap, birds sit on the branches, all paying attention to the slow-read story.

The day goes ignored by the two of them, getting through barely two chapters by noon. He glances over to Jay while he's reading one of the longer monologues: his eyelids droop closed for a moment, his grasp on the book has loosened, and a small curl of hair has fallen over his eyes.

Nick takes the curl between two of his fingers, lifts it out of Jay's vision and moves it behind his ear. His eyes dart to Nick's, a moment of disorientation between the two of them. Some of the animals have awoken to the slight jostling movement, crawling back onto the ground as Nick tries to stand.

"I think that's enough reading for today. We can continue tomorrow if you'd like." He suggests, his arms reaching towards the sky in an effort to stretch. 

"You're heading home?" Jay tilts his head, his eyes almost large like a nervous puppy who believes he'll be left alone.

Nick places the book underneath the tree, knowing he'll be back for it before he goes home. "Of course not, we're getting something to eat. There's a pear tree nearby the stream and we can have some for lunch."

"We?" he raises an eyebrow.

"Of course, 'we,' did you think I meant somebody else? Come on, follow me." Nick gestures in the direction across the creek. He steps into the chilly water and then hops out as quickly as he hopped in.

It isn't long until Jay catches up, his boots wet from the creek. His pants have a few splotches of water on them, but Nick doubts they're uncomfortable. When they finally reach the tree, the pears are still attached to the branches, their pale green color mixes with either pale gold or bruised purple.

As Nick reaches up into the leaves, Jay chimes in with a question. "You said you weren't allowed to talk to strangers, so I'm assuming you've never gone outside of the forest?"

He plucks a pear from its branch, shaking the tree along with it. It loosens and he presses his thumb against the stem, watching as it slightly moves. "Not even when I was a babe; Daisy and I were left here when our aunts and uncle found us. This is our home"

"You've seriously never been into town?" An astonishing look crosses Jay's face as he hands him the ripe pear.

He turns back to the tree, setting his eye on a similar one to the pear he had just picked and grabs at it. "No, I haven't. But one day, maybe when I turn sixteen, I'll sneak off and bring something back for Daisy."

"Would you mind if I went with you?" The tree finally lets go of its delicious gift and Nick does his check. Sure enough, it's ripe.

"Of course not, I would love to have you as my guide" Nick offers him a smile, taking a seat next to Jay who has now sat down in the tree's cool shade.

"I doubt I would be the best guide." He responds, cupping the pear in his hands.

"Why's that?" He inquires, cutting the soft skin of the pear with his teeth.

His head drops in humiliation, that puppy look returning. "My parents are farmers, the only time I visit the town is during the harvest season."

Nick wipes his mouth with his sleeve, leaving a wet stain of pear juice behind. "That's alright, Uncle Oliver takes little jobs to make some money and he doesn't spend too much time in town either."

"Your uncle gets to go into town but you can't? That sounds odd." Jay says, finally taking a bite into the sweet pear.

"They say I'm not ready for the rest of the world. And although they still treat me like a child, I still have all the freedom I need right now." Nick stands up, finishing off the pear. He then starts to dig a hole in the ground.

"Haven't you thought about running away?" Jay asks, cleaning up the juices leftover on his face.

"Of course," Nick replies, his fingertips getting dirt underneath his fingertips. He places the core of the pear inside the hole, the dirt attaching itself onto the stickiness of the inside. 

"Why haven't you?"

"What?"

He repeats himself, placing his own finished pear inside the dug-out ground. "Why haven't you run away? You probably have had multiple opportunities to do so, but here you are, frolicking through the forest. So why haven't you?"

"You aren't wrong, they don't seem to want me to meet anyone or leave. But, you know something?" Nick strolls over to the river, entering into the water and cleaning off his hands and mouth "I've fooled them. I have met someone."

"Nick," Jay groans, although a sheepish grin does appear on his face. He probably assumed he was going to get a real reason why, but, the fact is, Jay is a new reason as to why he'll stay. 

A soft chuckle leaves his lips as the waves of the stream clash against his legs. "Hear me out, will you? He's the first friend I've made, besides Daisy, I could never leave him behind."

"That true?" he questions, a small puppy-like head tilt following behind as he stands.

"Very much so. He's this tall, very handsome and he gets sleepy when we read together." Nick says, moving his hand up to barely match Jay's height for a relative description that isn't necessary.

"I wonder who this friend of yours is? He sounds wonderful." Jay takes a step closer to him reaching a hand out to pull him out of the creek. 

Nick takes the provided hand, feeling how blistered and rough his hand is, but he isn't disgusted by it. In fact, it's slightly larger than his own. The gentle comfort they gave off is enough to calm him. "I think so too." 

_"Nicky? Are you there? The birds said you came in this direction."_ Daisy calls out through the trees, her voice sounding closer than she probably was.

"Quickly, you've got to hide!" He cries, gripping Jay's hand in distress, his blood rising in seconds. 

“But, Nick-"

He glances over his shoulder, hoping Daisy is nowhere in sight. Hot tears begin to prick the corners of his eyes as his grasp pulls Jay closer. "Please, Jay, you're the only friend I've ever made! I don't want to lose you."

Jay is quiet, stuck in thought for what feels like longer than a minute. Then, he whispers, "I'll see you tomorrow, and the same place too."

"I'll bring the book," Nick replies with a smile, the somber feeling gone as a sigh of sweet relief lifts his chest.

He watches as Jay runs off, his heart aching at the sight of him leaving. Nick knows it's wrong to keep secrets from his own sister, but he wants to be selfish, just this once. Daisy gets everything, and he prays to God to let him keep Jay for himself.

The next morning, Jay is waiting for him under the tree, watching the morning clouds roll by. On his lap lies a turquoise, hardcover book, the same one from yesterday, and Nick smiles at him in delight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was this cheesey, hell yes it was. But did you think it was cute, I hope so.


End file.
